Rams' Fourth Quarter Rally Falls Short in 27-25 Loss to Fordham

BRONX, N.Y. - The Rhode Island football team's fourth quarter rally fell one play short as the Rams dropped a 27-25 decision to Fordham, Saturday night at Jack Coffey Field.

Rhody trailed 27-23 with 2:02 to go in the game. The Rams opened their final drive of the game on the Fordham 48-yard line thanks to a 30-yard kickoff return by sophomore Brandon Johnson-Farrell.

Johnson-Farrell would come up big again as he hauled in a 23-yard pass from junior quarterback Steve Probst on fourth down and 10.The Maryland native's reception gave the Rams a fresh set of downs on the Fordham 12-yard line, but the Rams were unable to come away with any points.

Probst finished the game going 26-of-41. He also tied a career-high with three touchdown passes. Defensively for the Rams, junior Chris Edmond led the Rams in tackles (11) for the second straight week.

Both teams were held scoreless in the first quarter, but Fordham broke the scoreless tie as quarterback Blake Wayne found wide receiver Jason Caldwell in the back corner of the endzone, which capped a nine play 69-yard drive.

URI responded on its next offensive series as it drove 60 yards in six plays to even the score a seven apiece. Probst capped the drive as he found junior wide receiver Anthony Baskerville, who charged in from nine yards out.

Rhody struck again less than two minutes later after redshirt freshman David Zocco collected his first career interception, which set up a 31-yard touchdown pass from Probst to sophomore Ty Bynum.

No team would find the endzone for the final six minutes of the first half and Rhody took a 14-7 lead into the locker room.

Fordham came out of the locker room and scored on its first offensive possession to tie the game at 14 apiece. The Rams marched 90 yards in six plays in a drive that spanned 1:52. Rhody responded once again as it went 73 yards in 11 plays to reclaim the lead 21-14 with 6:34 in the third quarter.

Rhody added two more points thanks to a blocked punt by Jarrod Williams, which went out of the back side of the endzone, giving URI a 23-14 lead with 14:24 to go in the game.

Fordham fought right back as it went on to score 13 unanswered points and took a 27-23 lead that it would not relinquish.

University of Rhode Island
Department of Athletics
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Kingston, RI 02881